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Influenster

Recently I received a free product sample (provided by the great folks at Influenster for review purposes) of ZzzQuil, which is a nighttime sleep-aid made by Vicks. I’ve never used a sleeping pill before, I’m weary of them despite their “non-habit forming” label. I don’t have horrible sleep issues, but sometimes I have trouble falling back asleep if my cat wakes me up in the early AM. I was curious to give this sample a try, so I picked a night to go to sleep extra early (10PM) and took the 2 LiquiCaps.

It might have taken more than 20 minutes to fall asleep, but it was fairly quick. I slept soundly, but my cat still managed to wake me up at 6AM as usual. I fell back asleep, but when I finally got up I felt very groggy and crouchy. I don’t know if that’s just my personal reaction to a sleeping pill, since I’m not used to taking them… but honestly, I probably wouldn’t use this again unless I was really suffering from insomnia. I didn’t like the grogginess in the morning at all. I’d rather wake up feeling tired!

However, if you find that sleeping pills are effective for you (which is fine – everyone is different!!) then this might be a good option. It certainly did knock me out when I took the pills, so if falling asleep is your problem then ZzzQuil is worth consideration.

Try ZzzQuil if you are a cosplayer suffering from post-con sickness! If you haven’t slept in 3 days, then it might be helpful to take a sleep aid to catch up on some Zzz’s lol!

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It’s been a while since I wrote a Beauty Blog! Luckily I just received the latest Influenster #XOVoxBox, filled to the brim with goodies! Here’s the lowdown of what they sent me:

Adore Me – FREE lingerie coupon code!! (I’m going to blog about this in more detail in an upcoming entry. It’s worth it!)

Lands’ End – $25 off $100 purchase coupon code. Not exactly the most thrilling item in the box, I’m afraid. But if you like Lands’ End, I can share the coupon! If you would like a coupon code, please PM me on Twitter – @gluxbox

eBay – This campaign has actually been running for a while. eBay is trying to get people to write “how to” guides and then you get a $25 gift card for eBay. I attempted to do this, I wrote two guides but eBay rejected them for some reason. So it’s pictured but I will not be doing anything more with that one lol!

Colgate Optic White – Included was a whitening toothpaste and a cool whitening toothbrush. What makes this toothbrush special is that there is a little whitening gel pen that fits inside the handle of the toothbrush. After brushing, you put this gel on your teeth and it helps to whiten. It’s pretty nifty, I must say! Too bad I’m a former smoker… it’s gonna take a long time to get the yellow out. 😦

Skinfix – This is a hand moisturizer that works for eczema too. What a coincidence, I have a tiny patch of eczema on my arm! I started applying it daily to the little spot and the redness/itchiness has already reduced. Awesome!

John Frieda Frizz Immunity Collection – I received a trial size Shampoo, Conditioner and Hair Primer from the Frizz Immunity Collection. I am already a big fan, this is perfect for my hair type. They also included a coupon so I can save a few bucks when I purchase the full size bottles. I love this!

Tide Pods – Just in time for me to do my laundry, I received a bag of Tide Pods! These are cute little pre-measured pods of Tide detergent with Febreeze. At first I was a little weirded out by the fact that the pod itself “dissolves” into the water, but my laundry came out smelling fresh and there were no remnants from the pod packaging anywhere in the load of clothes.

Clearly I have tried all of the products already, I couldn’t resist. My personal favorites from the #XOVoxBox are the John Frieda samples and the free lingerie. OMG THE FREE LINGERIE. So worth it. I will explain soon, I promise.

Do you want free stuff too? You should totally sign up for Influenster. Get in touch with me and I can hook you up!

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

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This might be relevant to some of you cosplayers out there: today I tried false eyelashes for the first time! I’d never taken the initiative to try false eyelashes before, even though I’d always wanted to because my eyelashes are very thin and well… sparse. I always assumed it was a complicated and messy ordeal so I never tried them out. However, when I received a free set of Kiss brand “Looks So Natural Lashes” in my Influenster #JadoreVoxBox, I finally had a chance to see what it was all about!

Since I’m not very experienced with false eyelashes, I went to the Kiss YouTube page (not to be confused with the classic rock band lol!) and watched some very informative videos about application and tips. I felt like a pro after! Here’s the steps I took:

One eye with the Kiss Looks So Natural false eyelash applied, the other without. Big difference!!

Before applying, I “sized” the Kiss Looks So Natural Lashes by holding them along the lash line and determining how much extra lash needed to be cut off. Then I carefully snipped the edge of the false lashes with a scissor.

As part of my normal routine, I put on my BB cream and under eye concealer, as well as eyeliner before attempting to use the false eyelashes.

Once I was ready, I used the small bottle of eyelash adhesive that came with the lashes to brush a small amount of glue to the bottom. I counted to 30 (they say to wait 30 seconds before applying, to allow time for the adhesive to become the perfect consistency) and got ready to apply.

Gently, I pushed the edge of the false eyelash to the start of my lash line on the inside of my eye. Then I patted it down on the outside corner of my eyelid, and carefully tapped along the entire lashline to make sure the false eyelashes were sticking in the right place. Of course then it was repeat from step 3 for my other eye.

After the eyelashes were sufficiently stuck onto my lash line, I proceeded to finish my makeup routine by applying my favorite mascara on both my natural and false eyelashes to help them blend together.

I added a bit more eyeliner on top of the false eyelash line to add more depth and create a more dramatic look.

Wanting the focus to be on my eyes, I opted for a shiny lip gloss to finish my makeup.

Now that I’ve successfully applied these false eyelashes, I feel really glamorous! I’m definitely addicted now. Most likely I will start wearing these when my band has a live performance, and for fancy events like my sister’s wedding this July.

I just want to add that the Kiss Looks So Natural lash set was MUCH easier to use than I had anticipated. It was simple, no mess, no fuss. My makeup didn’t smudge once. It was really a fun experience. Thanks so much for the opportunity to try these out, Influenster!

Feeling so glam with my new Kiss false eyelashes!

PS – I receive free products to try out courtesy of Influenster. If you’re interested in joining Influenster Nation, please comment or message me and I can send you an invitation!

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When I’m not playing 3DS, I like to try out beauty products, as you all know. I recently received an amazing Influenster VoxBox (for freeeee!!!) that contained so much cool stuff! I am going to do a post reviewing everything at a later date, but I had to share this really awesome clay mask from Boots Botanics today because it is really cool!

Obligatory scary mud mask selfie!!

Influenster sent me a nice 3.5 oz size sample of the Boots Botanics Ionic Clay Mask to try out. I will definitely get 2 or even 3 uses out of this sample. How awesome! I tried the mask after my shower, and was really impressed with it. Boots Botanics is cool because they use plants to naturally improve your skin. They even have a hashtag #powerofplants to help promote the product.

The Ionic Clay Mask applies easily because of it’s thick consistency. You don’t have to use too much, a thin layer all over the face is all you need. The clay dries fairly quickly, and that’s when it really gets interesting. Once the clay is dry, you will start seeing all of your pores getting the oil sucked out of them. So many little dots on my nose!! AHHH!! But I knew it was working and that’s what matters. After I cleaned off the mask, my skin felt very clean and fresh. It was a wonderful experience! If you are looking for a good clay or mud mask, definitely try Boots’ Botanics: The Power of Plants brand. 5 Stars! lol

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It’s official, I’ve tried every single product in my Influenster #VioletVoxBox! Let’s take a look back at all the cool products I was able to try, compliments of several cool companies and of course, Influenster.

Here’s my unboxing video from the Violet Vox Box, to get you started:

I’m going to give a quick overview of all of the products from my Violet Vox Box, in the order of my preference, from most to least!

Topping off the list as my MOST FAVORITE item in the Violet Vox Box is the Goody Athletique Head Wrap. This is an adjustable, moisture wicking fabric head band that is ideal for every day use, from working out to just hanging out! I really liked wearing this, and took several selfies:

Me wearing the Goody Athletique Head Wrap while playing Wii Fit U in Mirror Mode!

My second favorite item from the Violet Vox Box was NYM’s Clean Freak Dry Shampoo, which was in a cute little travel size. (Totally picking up a fresh canister for my next road trip!) I recently blogged about this product, so take a look if you haven’t already. Dry shampoo in general is a great way to keep your hair fresh without washing, and NYM’s Clean Freak Dry Shampoo has a nice fresh scent. Here’s my NYM Selfie:

I loved the theme of the Montagne Jeunesse Clay Spa challenge, which was “My Perfect MJ At Home Spa Day.” They encouraged us to make Pinterest boards showing off our favorite at home spa ideas. Who wouldn’t love treating themselves to day spa right in their own home? When I finally tried out the mask, I was very impressed! It smells great, and it was so much easier to apply than a regular mud mask. If only I had used some cucumbers for my eyes! Check out this video review I made for the MJ Clay Spa mask:

When Influenster sends me a snack, I get really excited! I would love to do food reviews more often. I’d never tried Soy Joy before, so I was excited to give this a shot. The flavor I received was cranberry, and it had big chunks of cranberry in the bar! It was chewy and tasted light, so definitely a good option for a post-workout snack. The only reason I am rating the Soy Joy so low on my list is because it was smaller than I thought it would be, based on the packaging. It was also kind of dry, but I did read on the wrapper that you could microwave it. I didn’t actually try to heat it up, but I wonder if that would have made it less dry? Maybe I’ll have to buy a box and find out!

Technically there was nothing wrong with this nail polish. It was very fun to try out, and I enjoyed writing a little blog about my “Shining Moment,” which Sally Hansen encouraged us to do. The polish dried much quicker than I expected, and it had a very nice shine that reflected light. However, the shade that they provided was totally wrong for me. I would only wear a light pink/nude nail polish if I was getting a french manicure, and even then, this particular color (Pixie Slicks) was just too “baby pink” for me. I would definitely have preferred something in a deep red or maybe a violet (HELLO, it was in the Violet Vox Box for heaven’s sake!!) hue, since that goes better with my skin tone. What I’m trying to say is that I’d definitely use this nail polish regularly… if only it were in a different color.

Sally Hansen Triple Shine – great polish, but the color isn’t for me.

All of these products were provided to me for free, courtesy of Influenster.com. If you’d like to join Influenster Nation and earn chances to review products like these, please send me your email address for an invitation. You can email me, leave your email address in the comments section, or simply send me a DM on Twitter (you can reach me at @gluxbox) and I’d be happy to get you started!

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“Not Your Mother’s” is one of the best company names I’ve ever heard! It’s so funny. Anyway, Influenster.com provided to me (for free, yay!) a sample of Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Dry Shampoo in the #VioletVoxBox and I’ve really enjoyed trying it out! I’ve never used dry shampoo before, so I was pretty clueless the first couple of times I used it. In fact the very first time, I just sprayed a tiny bit and started brushing it into my hair immediately – which is a big no-no! Luckily, I stumbled upon this helpful image on Pinterest. (Note: I didn’t make this instructional image about dry shampoo!)

I realized when I saw this image that I was doing it all wrong! Oops. The next time I decided to use NYM Clean Freak, I devised a styling plan.

I like to wear my hair in pigtail braids sometimes when I wash my hair and don’t have time to style. Not only does it look cute, but it’s quick and easy. The best part about putting my hair in braids is how my hair looks the next day! When I take my braids out, my hair always looks like I spent hours crimping and adding waves… meanwhile, all I really did was let it dry while my hair was in braids the day before! So while it’s easy to achieve that style, I usually do feel guilty going out with my hair down because it’s unwashed. Not anymore, thanks to Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Dry Shampoo!

One of my favorite features about this dry shampoo is the scent. When you spray it on your roots, there is a very nice baby powder scent that definitely helps to freshen up your hair. Basically, NYM Clean Freak Dry Shampoo does double duty – it helps to get rid of oils from your scalp, AND it makes your hair smell fresh. It’s the next best thing to actually washing your hair!

Don’t get me wrong, I love washing my hair. However, I have a lot of gray hair and therefore end up dying my hair quite often. My stylist told me that I actually should NOT wash my hair every day, because it will make my color fade a lot faster. Further research showed me that it’s really not good for anyone to wash their hair daily, because it strips your hair of natural oils that make your hair look shiny. So, for the sake of your hair, try Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Dry Shampoo, and save yourself some time getting ready to go out!

Here’s my NYM Selfie, just for fun:

I received this product complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. If you would like to join Influenster Nation and gain opportunities to receive free products like this, please post your email address in a comment here on this blog, or PM me on Twitter (@gluxbox) for details!

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I recently received a new Influenster #VoxBox and now it’s time for some product reviews! I love when Influenster sends me beauty products! If you want to see what else I’m working on reviewing, check out my unboxing video here!

This blog is all about Sally Hansen‘s new Triple Shine nail polish. (Try doing a search of #TripleShine on Twitter and check out what everyone is saying!) What makes Triple Shine nail polish so great is that it truly is SHINY! It is quick-drying too, which surprised me. I assumed I’d have to wait a while – I can be very impatient with nail polish – and I kept looking at my nails thinking, “They MUST be dry by now! But they look wet!” After a tentative touch, I realized my nails were actually dry… and still VERY shiny!

Lately I am in LOVE with nail polish… because it helps me to show off my “shining moment.” Everyone knows what that means… my engagement! Ever since JDubz popped the question, I’ve been giving myself manicures to show off my ring in style. Sally Hansen’s Triple Shine polish makes my shining moment even brighter! I even made a little Vine about it. (Just ignore the fact that my voice sounds terrible because of my stuffy nose lol!)

I received this product complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. If you would like to join Influenster Nation and gain opportunities to receive free products like this, please post your email address in a comment here on this blog, or PM me on Twitter (@gluxbox) for details!